Genealogical Gems

The New York Times, in an untitled article in its supplement On This Day in 1897, discussed immigration. Immigration statistics were not gathered until 1820. The article provides immigration totals by decades for 1820 to 1890. That first decade (1820-1830) saw 128,393 immigrants. From 1830 to 1840, there were 539,391 immigrants. The number more than doubled the next decade as 1,423,337 people immigrated to American between 1840 and 1850. There were another 2,799,423 immigrants from 1850 to 1860. Even with the Civil War going on here, immigration did not slow drastically. Between 1860 and 1870, there were 1,964,061 immigrants. From 1870 to 1880, there were 2,834,040 immigrants. The next decade saw an even greater increase with 5,246,613 immigrants arriving between 1880 and 1890. From 1890 to 1896 (remember this was from an 1897 article), another 2,878,492 had arrived. As expected, the economy played a large role in the number of immigrants. England suffered a commercial depress...

Like every year, I list a few things I want to focus on and confirm or deny. This year I decided to focus on my immigrant lines and my ancestral homelands. On Glenn’s (hubby) side, I want to focus more on documentation. My great grandfather Panko Hruszczak arrived in New York on the Volturno My known immigrants are: Panko Hruszczak – my great grandfather from Prusy, Sambor , Galicia Bessie Matys - my great grandmother from Fraga, Rohatya , Galicia John Kurenda - my great grandfather from Tatary, Sambor , Galicia , Poland Frances Skrabalak - my great grandmother from Temeszow , Poland Mary Kilpatrick - my great grandmother from Ireland Michael Walsh - my 2x great grandfather from Ireland Anna Keating - my 2x great grandmother from Ireland Dennis O'Flaherty - my 2x great grandfather from Ireland Martha Durkin - my 2x great grandmother from Ireland My Still line continues to be an obsession. I am determine...

Working on genealogy goals for the New Year. Thinking of concentrating efforts on my immigrants and ancestral homelands. There are a few (on Mom's side) that I am still not certain of yet. Daddy's side was actually easier, probably since I am only third generation American on his side so I only have four direct immigrants (my great grandparents). Mom's however ... Frances & John Kurenda My known immigrants are: Daddy's side: Panko Hruszczak - from Prusy, Sambor, Galicia Bessie Matys - from Fraga, Rohatya, Galicia John Kurenda - from Tatary, Sambor, Galicia, Poland Frances Skrabalak - from Temeszow, Poland Mom's Irish lines: Mary Kilpatrick - my great grandmother Michael Walsh - my 2x great grandfather Anna Keating - my 2x great grandmother Dennis O'Flaherty - my 2x great grandfather Martha Durkin - my 2x great grandmother I got my AncestryDNA results back earlier and would also like to confirm which of my lines is my European Jewi...

My poor desks. I have just been piling things around and they were in need of a really good Sorting Saturday.   I also found things … things I forgot I even had! I found a USB extension thingie. Like that technical term? It gives me five extra ports. I had forgotten all about that one. I found some seed packages, several books that I have not around to reading yet, and my renewal form for the National Genealogical Society (NGS). Fortunately the deadline is not until next week so I’m still good there! I even found the instructions on how to use my “new” Windows phone. I got it several months ago and simply ask my twin 16 year olds to “fix it” when I get annoyed!   I found a post it note with information on my great grandmother’s naturalization information. Her name is Bessie Matys Hruszczak. The number written on a census was 3-172456 with the date 2/27/40. The 3 indicates District 3, which in 1940 was Philadelphia . Her application number then is 172456 and the verificat...

The past week has been pretty busy and stressful so I forgot about the Fearless Females prompt.    Last Saturday’s prompt was to share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. My mom never taught me how to cook. In fact she rarely let me in the kitchen. Sunday’s prompt was to share an entry or excerpt from a female ancestor’s diary or journal. Monday’s prompt was to feature a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.   Bessie Hruszczak is my great grandmother. I knew her maiden name was Matys and I had an idea when she immigrated and where she came from before I had found this record – a New York Passenger List. This record shows she sailed on the SS Cincinnati from Hamburg , on 16 October 1912. She arrived in New York on 28 October 1912. Her name is listed as Paska (consistent with other records before Americanizing to Bessie) Matys.   ...

Today - St. Patrick's Day - seems like the perfect day to post about my immigrants, specifically my Irish immigrants. Michael WALSH believed to be from Dublin. An aunt had told me once that the family were haberdashers there. Once here, they settled in Shenandoah, Schuylkill County working in the coal mines. Anna KEATING Believed to be from County Mayo. She was born in 1855 and came here with her siblings when she was five. Her parents are assumed to have stayed in Ireland. The Keating siblings settled in Ringtown, near Shenandoah. She married Michael Walsh. Michael and Anna had six children. One of whom was Martin Joseph Walsh, my great grandfather. At some point the Walsh family moved to Phoenixville. My grandmother mentioned once it had something to Martin playing baseball. In Phoenixville, which is in Chester County, he married Catharine O'Flaherty. She is the daughter of Dennis and Martha Durkin O'Flaherty. Dennis O'FLAHERTY Dennis was born in 1839. ...

  SS Volturno this is the ship my great grandfather Panko Hruszczak came over on in 1911 at just 18 years of age, he arrived at Ellis Island on 20 April 1911 the port of deaprture was Rotterdam, Holland   The ship burned at sea just two and half years later.   Sources: http://fireontheocean.com/about-ss-volturno/ http://www.searlecanada.org/volturno/volturno28.html  

Last night I stumbled upon the Rosenbaum Bank. Okay - not literally! I was searching various names on Ancestry.com and stumbled upon a HRUSZCZAK listed in connection to this bank in Philadelphia. Anytime I see my maiden name I get excited since it is not exactly Smith or Jones! Now I can not place this Teodor. My great grandfather was Panko Hruszczak and he came into Ellis Island and stated his uncle Onifer Pomanko was waiting for him in Coatesville, Chester County, PA. Panko did marry in Coatesville in 1915 and settle there, and while I show him as having lived in Columbia, Lancaster County in 1917, he pretty much stayed in Coatesville. He never lived in Philadelphia. While his father was Theodore, I do not believe his father ever immigrated. In any case, what caught my attention - in addition to the name - is the source! Panko was not Jewish. Nor is any direct lineal ancestors (while I do have some Jewish family members scattered here and there, none are direct ancestors.). At...

While the rain outside this morning feels and even smells great, it does alter my morning outing just a wee bit. I hate making deliveries in the rain so I decided to work on my Irish immigrants. The rain - we'll blame it on the rain - has fogged up my thought process evidently. Here I've been searching the records online at Ellis Island for my immigrant Martha Durkin. I could not find her anywhere so I found a helpful site that tells me common nicknames and such (since Irish people rarely seem to go by their given names).  It tells me that Martha is also commonly found as (nicknames): Polly, Patsy, Marnie, Mart, Marty, Mat, Mattie. The Irish also like Marta. I searched for females beginning with M and then females beginning with P then all Durkin females. Then ... Then I realized that Martha - who came over as a child - was born in 1839. Ellis Island did not open its doors until 1892. My Martha would have been 53. Obviously Martha did not come through Ellis Island. ...

New York has many historical parks and landmarks to interest anyone in either American heritage or specifically New York history. May is National Preservation Month and the theme this year is "Discover America's Hidden Gems". This month go visit your local historical landmarks. Each landmark has its own personal story to tell in relation to the history of your local area. Click HERE to read the full article as it appeared on Knoji. The article also has a section on CASTLE GARDEN, the immigration meca before Ellis Island!

This year I set 10 genealogy related goals for myself. The first of which was to find my maternal great grandmother on a passenger list from Ireland to the US . So far, she remains elusive. What I do know: Mary is the daughter of James Kilpatrick. He stayed behind but Mary and her six siblings came to the United States . They were: Margaret, Martha, Theresa, Nora, James and John. Mary was born on 12 November 1884 in County Mayo , Ireland . She came here and found employment near Philadelphia on the Main Line . That is where she met Pierson George Still, a blacksmith from Unionville. They married in 1908. In 1909 they had a daughter Margaret who sadly only lived two months. The next year she bore a son, James Franklin Still, who lived to be 68. Uncle Jim was a character!   In 1913 another daughter – Dorothy – was born but also passed that same year. The following year my grandfather Lloyd Pierson Still was born. Like Uncle Jim, he lived a full life, passing at age 79. In Feb...